8.
diving in the pit waters and a pair of mallard
walked ungainly on the shore. Then I observed what
from experience I identified as a Common Sandpiper
at a distance of some 75-100 yards and without benefit
of binoculars.
When I returned a day
later with binoculars I
realised my mistaken -
identification with
pleasure - a pair of
Little Ringed Plovers.
And very soon it was
realised that there were
indeed two pairs.
I took into my confidence
three local friends - all keen
ornithologists - and we swore to
watch and protect these birds to
our utmost ability. Indeed Jim
Goody on one occasion very nearly
committed murder when several
lads armed with air rifles
committed the unpardonable act of
killing a house martin.
Ken White phoned up the R.S.P.B. London Bird
Recorder who informed us that this was the only
nesting report for this bird in the Greater London
area for 1975. Ken Hoy came down and verified our
observations. Of course, that fact that this compara-
tively rare bird, first noted as a breeding species for
this country only 40 years ago, had chosen to colonise
a locality on our very doorstep excited us greatly.
By carefully watching the birds, we soon dis-
covered their nests. The first consisted of a mere
scraping amongst pebble gravel on a dry bank between
the actual pit and a shallow pool on the mudflats.
The four pear shaped eggs, each with its narrow end